Mining machine



April 23, 1935.

w. N. A. VANDER HULs'r 1,998,529

MINING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 12, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 23, 1935. w. N. A. VANDER HULST 1,998,529

MINING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 12, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 23,1935. 9 i w. NjA. VANDER HULST 1,998,529

'MININYG MACHINE Origin al Filed Feb. 12, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 23, 1 935.

W. N. A. VANDER HULST MINING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 12, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Gamma F p l 935. w. N. A. VANDER HULST 1,998,529

MINING MACHINE Original Filed Feb.' 12, 193 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 6 Ji /7m April 23, 1935.

W. N. A, VANDER HULST MINING MACHINE Original Fil ed Feb. 12, 1932 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MINING MACHINE William NLA. Vander Hulst, Chicago, 111., assignor to Goodman .Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application February 12, 1932, Serial No. 592,476

' Renewed September 14, 1934.

zlClaims.

mine rails, equipped with means for collecting the cuttings and delivering them rearwardly beyond the machine into the gob or a suitable receptacle.

This invention has as one of its objects to pro- .videa more efficient means for collecting the cuttings removed from the kerf cut in the mine wall by the cutter bar during the cutting operation which will more readily follow an uneven surface including a telescopic cuttings collector means having a plurality of independently operable forward sections arranged side by side, and means for maintaining said cuttings collector in engagement with the mine wall while cutting across the face. Another object of my invention is to pro-' vide a mining machine having a new and improved means for discharging the collected cuttings to either side of the machine rearwardly therefrom into a suitable material receiving device.

The general type of machine disclosed is fully described in a. patent application filed May 24,'

1930 by William T. McCullough, Serial No. 455,218 and entitled Improvements in mining machines, which matured into Patent No. 1,943,832 on J anuary 16, 1934, so will only herein be described insofar as is necessary to clearly set forth the improved features of my present invention.

My invention may be more clearly understood with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: I

Figure l is a top plan View of a device embodying my invention;

forward portion of the device shown in Figure 1 with parts broken away and in section to more clearly show the details of my invention;'

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the rearward portion of the device shown in Figure l with parts broken away and in section to more clearly show the details of my invention;

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the forward portion of the device shown in Figure 1 with parts broken away to more clearly show the details of my invention;

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of the rear ward portion of the device shown in Figure 1 with parts broken away and in section to more clearly show the details of my invention;

Figure 6 is an enlarged partial fragmentary transverse sectional view of the forward portion of the device embodying my invention showing the details of the cuttings collectingv device;

' Figure '7 is an enlarged partial fragmentary sectional View showing certain details of the means for moving the various sections of the cuttings'collecting device with respect to each other;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the pawl and ratchet mechanism embodied 'in themeans for moving the various sections of the cuttings collecting device with respect to each other; and

Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken {substantially alongline 99 of Figure 3.

Referring now in particular to the drawings, the embodiment of my invention illustrated comprises'a mining machine, generally indicated at ll], of the wellknown track mounted type adapted to cut an arcuate-kerf in the face of the coal in front of and 'to each side of the' track above the mine bottom. Said mining machine includes a truck frame ll mounted on track wheels l2 and axles l3.

The truck frame II is provided with a turntable M, which turntable in turn supports a cutting element generally indicated at I 5.

The cutting element I5 is supported on the turntable [4 for vertical movement with respect thereto in parallel spaced guides indicated at l6. Said guides are provided with suitable racks therein which are engaged by pinions supported on suitable drive shafts journaled in said cutting element for vertically moving said cutting element and adjusting the cutting mechanism so a kerf may be cut at various elevations in the face of the mine wall. These racks and pinions are not herein shown or described since they are not a portion of my invention and are clearly shown in the aforementioned McCullough application.

The cutting'element I5 is provided with a motor 11 adjacent its rearward end and a cutter bar 18 projecting forwardly therefrom. Said cutter bar is provided with a cutter chain l9 of an ordinary construction which is movable therearound in suitable guides and driven from said,

motor-in a usual manner (not shown).

The cutter bar I8 is sumped into the coal by suitable feeding means which may either be the track wheels l2 or a feeding drum 20 having a flexible feeding member attached thereto for moving said cutter bar into the coal upon rotation of said feeding drum when said flexible forwardly of the machine.

, feeding member is attached to a suitable jack 7 description of one of said sections will suffice for for driving the feeding drum or track wheels [2 at either a high speed or low frictionally controlled feeding speed by means of a suitable gear train, indicated at 23, frictionally controlled planetary gear reduction device 24 and transverse shaft 25. Said feeding drum is driven from said transverse shaft by means of a suitable chain and sprocket drive indicated at 26, and a worm and worm gear indicated at 21. Said track wheels are driven from said transverseshaft by means of suitable reduction gears and chain and sprocket drives not herein shown in detail since they are no portion of my invention and are clearly disclosed in the aforementioned patent of William T. McCullough. j

Referring now in particular to the cuttings collecting device ass'ociatedjwith the cutter bar [8 for collecting the cuttings from the kerf cutby the cutter chain 19, said cuttings collecting device comprises a chute, indicated at 28, made in three sections, which sections are telescopic within each other.

The first of these three. sections is a fixed or stationary section disposed adjacent the rearward end of the cutter bar l8 and having vertically extending wall members 3| with con- 7 verging sides 32 and a bottom 33.

around a suitable direction changing device adjacent the forward end thereof.

A pair of parallel spaced angles36 are secured to the inner sides of the wallmembers 3! of the fixed section 30. Said angles form a guide means for blocks 31 secured to the outer side of vertically extending side walls 38 of a movable section 39 of the chute 28 for supporting said movable section adjacent opposite sides for telescopic movement with respect to said stationary section of said chute.

The movable section 39 of the chute 28 is provided with converging sides49 converging inwardly from the lower end of the side walls 38 and inclined bottom plate 4! to permit the cutgagement with the top surface of said cutter bar on each side of the slot 44 and depends therefrom and has its lower end secured to the top portion of the inclined bottom plate 4| of said movable section.

The forward, or third section, of the chute 28 comprises a pair of sections 45 arranged side by side and independently movable with respect to the cutter bar i8, and adapted to be telescoped within the sections 30 and 39. The construction of each of the forward sections is similar so a both.

Each forward section 45 is provided with an outer vertically extending side wall 41 and a bottom 48. The bottom 48 extends transversely of the cutter bar IS in a substantially horizontal plane and has a portion 49 extending upwardly therefrom and forming an inner side wall for the forward section 45 which is spaced outwardly from the center line of said cutter bar and a portion 50 which extends inwardly from the portion 49 in a horizontal plane and abuts a portion of the underside of said cutter bar. The portion 59 of the bottom'48 is secured to the lower 'side of a support member 5| which is slidably movable in the slot 44 of said cutter bar and is provided with a shoulder engaging the top surface of said cutter bar adjacent said ,slot. A tie member 53 connects the top side of the support member 5! with the side wall 41. Parallel spaced angles 54 extend outwardly from the side wall 41 so as to form a suitable horizontal guide therein and are engaged by a block 55 secured to and extending inwardly from the side wall 38 of the movable section 39. Thus the forward sections 45 may be independently moved longitudinally of the cutter bar i8 and may be telescoped within the movable section 39 and fixed section 30.

Referring now in particular to the means for extending or retracting the movable sections 39;

and 45 of the chute 28, spring actuated devices are provided for extending said movable sections, which devices are similar in construction to the ordinary shade roller and are shown in a prior application Serial No. 537,247 filed by me May 14,;

these spring roller devices will only be referred to in detail.

Spring roller devices 56 are supported in bearing supports 62, 62 integral with and extending forwardly from the movable section 39. Said spring roller devices are provided to independently move the movable sections 45 forwardly along the cutter bar I8 to engage the face of the coal, and each of said spring roller devices includes a shaft 51 journaled in spaced bearing members 58 having a helical spring 59 coiled thereon and disposed between said spaced bearing members. One end of said helical spring is anchored to a radial pin 69 extending from the shaft 51 and disposed adjacent the inner side of one of said spaced bearing members and the opposite end of said helical spring is secured to said other spaced hearing member.

A tubular housing Bl surrounds the shaft 51 for a portion of its length and is so arranged that an annular space is provided between said shaft and housing. Said tubular housing is supported adjacent its opposite ends and secured to the spaced bearing members 58 in a suitable manner (not shown) so 'it may be rotated about the shaft 51. Pinions 53 are provided on opposite ends of said tubular housing. Said pinions mesh with racks 64 disposed adjacent opposite sides of the forward section 45 and depending therefrom. A sleeve member 65 is freely mounted on the outer end of the shaft 57 and has a shouldered inner end which fits within the tubular housing 8! and which is secured to said tubular housing in a suitable manner. Said sleeve member is provided With a squared outer end which may be engaged by a crank 66 for rotating said sleeve mem-' her and said tubular housing. A ratchet 61 formed integral with said sleeve member is adapted to be engaged by a pawl 68 to hold said sleeve member from rotation in one direction. The opposite end of the shaft 51 has a ratchet 69 keyed by a pawl 19. The pawl 10 'and'ratchet'69 are I disposed oppositely from the pawl- 68 and ratchet 6'! to permit the shaft 51 to be rotated with respect to the sleeve member 65 or to permit said. sleeve member to'be rotatedwith respect to said tive spring roller devices for maintaining the mashaft and to hold the helical spring 59in tension when desired. The inner end of the'shaft 51 is squared so it may be engaged by a suitable crank for rotating said shaft and winding said helical spring to the required tension.

When windingthe helical spring 59'tothe required tension, the tubular housing 6| is held from rotation by means of the paw1'68 and ratchet 61. When said helical spring has been wound to the required tension and the sections 45 are telescoped within the sections 39 and 39, 'and it is desired to permit said movablesections to move forwardly along the cutter bar |8,'the pawls 19 are engaged with the ratchets 69. This holds the shafts from rotation and effects rotation of the tubular housings 6| which drives the pinions 63 and movessaid pinions along the racks 64.- When it is desired to telescope the sections 45 within the sections 39 manually, the pawls 68 -and are disengaged from their respective ratchets and the tubular housing 6| is rotated by means of the crank 66 and sleeve member 65.

It should be noted, however, that during the cutting operation said sections are maintained in engagement with the coal face by means of the spring roller devices 56 and that said sections are telescoped'within the sections 39 by the reaction of the coal face against said movable sections as the cutter bar |8 is moved therein or therealong, the pawls 68 being disengaged from the ratchets 61 I In a similar manner a spring roller device 13 is provided for moving the movab1e 'section'39 with respect to the fixed section 30. Said spring roller device is journaled in suitable bearing supports 14 extending forwardly from the fixed section 39 and is provided with pinions integral with a roller 16 adapted to rotate about a shaft TI. The

pinions 15 mesh with racks 18 depending from the movable section 39. tively connectible with the roller 16 adjacent one of its ends and is provided to manually rotate said roller when desired. The end of the shaft" opposite the crank 19 is squared and oppositely disposed pawl and ratchet devices 80 and 8| are provided to hold the spring in the spring roller device I3 in tension and to hold saidshaft stationary when the roller 16 is being driven, or'for face of the coal and guiding said forward sections as they are moved therealong. The means herein shown comprise material engaging members 83 of a curved contourpivotally connected at their inner ends to the inner sides of said forward sections. Yieldable means are provided to engage said members with the face of the-coal, which means herein comprise rods 84 having compression springs 85 coiled therearound. Said rods are pivotally connected to the underside of said material engaging members adjacent the forward end thereof and extend rear wardly-therefrom. The rearward ends of said rods are slidably supported in members 86pivotally connected to the bottoms 48 of said forward sections; and

compression springs 85 are interposed between-- A crank-19 is opera-' engagement with the face of the coal. It" may thus be seen that the movable sections 39 and 45; 45 of the chute 28 are moved forwardly along the cutter bar l8 by means of their respecterial eng'agingmembers 83 in engagement with the-face of the coal during a'major portion "of the cutting operation, and'that said movable sections are independently movable with respect toeach other along said cutter bar to permit the material engaging members 83 to more closely follow an uneven coal face. As'said cutter bar is' moved along the face of the coal while cutting a kerf therein, the material engagingmembers 83 are yieldably moved to compensate for irregularities in the coal face and either one or the other forward section 45 of the chute 28 may also be yieldably moved-with respect to 'saidcutter bar when necessary, said material engaging members being maintained in engagement with the face of the coal by means of the compression springs 85 and springroller devices 56 and I3.

It should be noted that during the cutting operation a major portion of the cuttings are discharged by the cutter chain IS on the advance "side of the cutter bar l8 and that one of the purposes in providing two movable sections 45 side by side is to catch any cuttings which might fall from the retreating side of said cutter bar and to permit the cuttings collecting device to operate as efficiently while cutting from right to left as from left to right.

- Referring now in particular to the means for disposing of the cuttingscollected by thechute 28 and discharged through the discharge opening 34 in the turntable M, a conveyor 81 extends longitudinally of the truck frame beneath said discharge opening. Said conveyor may be' of any suitableconstruction but is herein preferably shown as a flight conveyor and is inclined upwardly from the truck frame rearwardly of the discharge opening 34 and extends substantially horizontally beyond the rearward extremities of said truck frame. A rearward frame portion 88 of said conveyor is adjustably supportedon aninclined section of said conveyor so the rearward end of said conveyor may be vertically adjusted to permit the discharge of material into cars of varying heights and so the top of said conveyor may be lowered to compensate for uneven mine roofs. I

Suitable yieldable support means areprovided for supporting and adjusting the rearward frame.

portion 88 of the conveyor 81, which means herein comprise threaded shafts 90, 99 pivotally supported at their lower ends on opposite sides of a frame member 9| extending rearwardly from the truck frame A nut 93 is threaded on eachthreaded shaft 90 and its top side abuts the bottom side of a compression spring 94 coiled around each of said threaded shafts. Said compression springs are partially enclosed in tubular housings 95 pivotally connected to the underside of the rearward frame portion 88of the conveyor 81. Each of said blocks is secured within a tubular housing 95 and abuts the upper'end of a compression spring 94. Said blocks are provided with a suitable aperture'in their central portion to permit the threaded shafts 98 to-pass therethrough. Suitable gripping means are provided on the nuts 93 so said nuts may be readily rotated by hand. It may thus be seen that'as the nuts 93 are rotated and moved upwardly-along the threaded shafts 90-thattherearward frame portion 88 of the conveyor 81 is pivotally moved about its axis of pivotal connection to the ln-,

clined portion of said conveyor which raises the rearward end .of said rearward frame portion, and I that said rearward frame portion is yieldably supported on the frame member 9| topermit limited vertical movement with respect thereto. Thus a means has been provided for adjusting the height of the rearward end of the conveyor 81 and forpermitting the rearward end of said conveyor to be moved downwardly against suitable spring members when a projection'from the roof engages said conveyor during the traveling operation of the machine.

The conveyor 87 is driven from the motor 2I by means ofreduction gearsgenerally indicated at 91, shaft 98, and chain and sprocket drives 99andl00.

Another conveyor IN is supported by the rearward frame portion 88v of the conveyor 01 and is provided with sides forming a hopper beneath the discharge end of said conveyor. The conveyor IOI is supported on a turntable for pivotal movement with respect to the conveyor 81 about a vertical axisfor depositing the loose material discharged from the conveyor 81 to either side of the track into the .gob or a suitable receptacle or material conveying means. Said conveyor is supported on the rearward frame portion 88 of the conveyor-81 by means of supporting brackets I03 depending from and extending outwardly from said rearward frame portion. Said brackets are connected together adjacent their rearward ends by means of a suitable frame member I04 which provides a-turntable support for the conveyor IOI. The turntable support comprises an annular ring -I05 formed adjacent the central portion of the frame member I0 ,4 which is adapted to receive a circular bearing portion I01 of a supporting frame member I08,for the conveyor IOI. A flanged retaining ring I09 is adapted to lit in the annular ring I 05 and its flange abuts a shouldered under portion ;of said annular ring. The retaining ring We is secured to the lower side of the circular bearing portion I01 of the.

supporting frame member I08 for holding said circular bearing portion within the annular ring I05. It may thus be seenthat theconveyor IOI may be rotated about a vertical-axis for discharging material at various desired positions with respect to the mine track.

The conveyor I M is of an ordinary construction and is herein shown as being. a flight con-.

veyor having flights IIO secured at their central portion to a drive chain II I disposed centrally of said conveyor, which drive chain is driven "from the conveyor 81 in all positions of rotation of said conveyor with respect to the conveyor 81. The means for driving thedrive chain II I from the conveyor 81 comprises a chain and sprocket drive II2 driven from the rearward end .of said.

A bevel pinionIIS- is keyed on theinner end of the transversely extending shaft I I4 and meshes with and drives-a'bevel gear I I6 coaxial'with the axisof pivotal" movement of the conveyor I 0|.

The bevel gear II 6 drives a bevel pinion II 1 keyed on the inner end of a horizontal shaft IIO journaled in the frame member I08. A spur gear H9 is keyed on the outer end of the horizontal shaft H8 and meshes with and drives a spur gear I20 keyed on a horizontal shaft I2I: A sprocket I22 is keyed on the horizontal shaft I2I adjacent the central portion of the conveyor MI and meshes with the drive chain III for driving said chain and conveyor.

It may now be seen that a new and improved mining machine has been provided wherein the material cut from the face of the coal by the cutter chain may be collected and discharged beyond the rearward end of the machine, and that this machine is so arranged that the cuttings collecting means is maintained in engagement with the face of the coal during a major portion of the cutting operation, which cuttings collecting means is so arranged that it may readily follow an uneven coal face when the cutter bar is cutting in either normal or reverse directions and that said machine is of a unitary compact structure and includes a new and improved means of a simplified construction for disposing of the cuttings collected by said cuttings collecting means. I

While I have herein illustrated and described one embodiment of. my invention, it will be understood that the construction of the various parts or their arrangement may be altered or changed without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting myself to the specific mechanism shown, excepting as it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mining machine, the combination of cutting mechanism including a cutter bar and a cuttings collecting device associated with said cutter bar and comprising a plurality of longitudinally extensible sections arranged side by side on opposite sides of said cutter bar.

2. A mining machine as set forth in claim 1 in which the longitudinally extensible sections are independently movable with respect to each other.

3. A mining machine as set forth in claim 1 in which the longitudinally extensible sections are adapted to have yieldable engagement with the mine wall.

4. A mining machine as setforth in claim 1 in which the longitudinally extensible sections are adapted to have independent adjustable contact with the face of the mine wall.

5. A mining machine as set forth in claim 1 in which the longitudinally extensible sections are arranged beneath'said cutter bar and extend beyond the sides thereof.

6. A mining machine as set forth in claim 1 in which the longitudinally extensible sections are moved by spring actuated devices.

7. A mining machine as set forth in claim 1 in which the longitudinally extensible sections are moved by spring roller devices.

8. In a mining machine, the combination of cutting mechanism including a cutter bar, and a cuttings collecting device associated with said cutter bar and comprising a plurality of telescopic sections extensible longitudinally of said in which said forward longitudinally extensible sections are independently movable with respect to each other.

10. A mining machine as set forth in claim 8 in which the forward longitudinally extensible sections are adapted to have independent adjustable contact with the face of the mine wall.

11. A mining machine as set forth in claim 8 in which the telescopic sections are arranged beneath the cutter bar and extend beyond the sides thereof.

12. A mining machine as set forth in claim 8 in which the telescopic sections are moved with respect to each other by spring actuated devices.

13. A mining machine as set forth in claim 8 in which the telescopic sections are moved with respect to each other by spring roller devices.

14. In a mining machine, the combination of cutting mechanism including a cutter bar and a cuttings collecting device associated with said cutter bar and comprising a plurality of longitudinally extensible sections arranged side by side on opposite sides of said cutter bar, said sections being independently movable with respect to each other and adapted to have yieldable engagement with the mine wall.

15. In a mining machine, the combination of cutting mechanism including a cutter bar and a cuttings collecting device associated with said cutter bar and comprising a plurality of longitudinally extensible sections arranged side by side on opposite sides of said cutter bar, said sections being arranged beneath said cutter bar and extending beyond the sides thereof for independent adjustable contact with the face of the mine wall.

16. In a mining machine, the combination of cutting mechanism including a cutter bar and a cuttings collecting device associated with said cutter bar and comprising a plurality of longitudinally extensible sections arranged side by side on opposite sides of saidcutter bar, said sections being independently movable with respect to each other for yieldable engagement with the mine wall and having individual spring actuated devices associated therewith for moving said sections with respect to each other.

7 17. In a mining machine, the combination of cutting mechanism including a cutter bar and a cuttings collecting device associated with said cutter bar and comprising a pluralityof longitudinally extensible sections arranged side by side on opposite sides of said cutter bar, said sections being arranged beneath said cutter bar and extending beyond the sides thereof for independent adjustable contact with the face of the mine wall and having individual spring actuated devices associated therewith for moving said sections with respect to each other.

18. In a mining machine, a cutter bar, and means associated with said cutter bar for 001- lecting the cuttings discharged thereby comprising a pair of extensible chutes, each of said chutes being arranged beneath one side of said cutter bar for independent engagement with the mine wall.

19. In a mining machine, a track-mounted truck, a turntable thereon, a cutting element including a projecting chain carrying cutter bar carried by said turntable, a discharge opening in said turntable, and means communicating between said cutter bar and discharge opening for collecting and discharging the cuttings through the latter comprising a pair of extensible chutes arranged beneath opposite sides of said cutter bar for independent engagement with the mine Wall.

20. A mining machine in accordance with claim 19 wherein the chutes have yieldable engagement with the mine wall.

21. A mining machine in accordance with claim 19 wherein individual yieldable spring actuated devices are associated with each of said chutes for yieldably engaging them with the mine wall.

WILLIAM N. A. VANDER HULST. 

